Review: The First Heretic

Originally published in 2010, The First Heretic is something of an unofficial starting point to the New York Times best-selling Horus Heresyseries. While Horus Rising was the first book of the series to be printed, The First Heretic tells of the origin of the corruption that would spread throughout the Warhammer 40,000 universe, eventually infecting the Emperor’s favourite son. As The Black Library have re-released the novel as the first part of their Warhammer Legends collection, it seemed like a good time to take a look at Aaron Dembski-Bowden‘s prequel-like novel.

The novel starts some 40 years before the Horus Heresy set the galaxy aflame. Responding to a distress call from a previously conquered world, Lorgar, Primarch of the Word Bearers, returns to find that the planet, and his perfect city of Monarchia, have been brutally decimated by the Ultramarines, under the leadership of his brother Primarch, Robute Guilliman. When Lorgar demands to know why a world under his protection would be so unceremoniously razed to the ground his father, The Emperor of Mankind, appears and admonishes him for cultivating worlds that worship the Emperor as a God. In the Emperor’s grand vision, religious worship of any kind is forbidden. The Emperor forces Lorgar and his loyal followers of the 17th Legion to kneel before him while Guilliman, most jerky of the Primarchs, watches on. Needless to say, Lorgar doesn’t take this admonishment particularly well, and sets out in search of somebody, or something, that will be more than happy to be in receipt of Lorgar’s worship. What he finds will alter the galaxy forever.

Anyone familiar with the history of the Warhammer 40k universe will be fully aware how Lorgar’s pilgrimage ultimately ends. His legion, and he himself, will become some of the most hated figures in the galaxy. Dembski-Bowden’s genius is his ability to portray the protagonists of the piece in a way that makes you root for them, makes you hope against hope that they will somehow steer off their inevitable course before it’s too late, even though you know they can’t.

Most of the novel is told through the eyes of one of the Word Bearer’s captains, Argel Tal. Tal, like the rest of his Word Bearer kin, is utterly devoted to their Primarch, and shares the Primarch’s embarrassment at being unfairly forced to prostate themselves for their work. Though Space Marines are, to many, nothing more than genetically enhanced, emotionless facists, Dembski-Bowden imbues Tal with a tangible humanity. In doing so, he allows the reader to connect with a character that is, for all intents and purposes, a living death machine. This investment in Tal’s journey that Dembski-Bowden is forcing you to create is the reason your heart will wrench, the reason you will silently scream in the vain hope that Tal will just stop and think about his actions; he doesn’t, of course. The future has been pre-ordained, and Tal will be a key player in the violence to come. But even as he surrenders to inevitability, little signs of his gradually dying humanity serve as the emotional knife which Dembski-Bowden twists into your heart.

The Black Library’s decision to start their legends collection with The FirstHeretic is a smart choice. For the uninitiated, The First Heretic will make the novels to come easier to understand, and in Dembski-Bowden, they are leading with the cream of their writing staff (sorry Dan Abnett, I still love you -Ed). The Warhammer 40,000 universe is a mire of history, but Dembski-Bowdens’s sci-fi masterpiece will certainly make it more accessible to anyone looking to brave a daunting dive into the Heresy. It is a stunning piece of sci-fi literature, and a stand out entry into the Horus Heresy series.